mystery out of wine buying and make it fun. And I thought, this I can do. So I became the wine guy, and that’s how I built my personal brand, not with wine per se. I offer my personal brand, not wine, on Wine Library TV. Every episode gives me a chance to share my considerable expertise with other people interested in the same thing I am, which is loads of fun. They also give me a chance to share myself. Watch me for two seconds and you know exactly who I am and what I stand for. Authenticity is key.
Now, that can definitely be a double-edged sword. I know there are people out there who think I’m a jerk with my Jets spit bucket, my table littered with toys, and my colorful language. I’m loud, I’m over the top, I’m hyper. But I am who I am. I’m for real, and overall people like that. People watch, and they listen, and they even learn a thing or two and sometimes agree with me that hell yes, this Reisling does taste like a racquetball. I give wine lovers the permission to like any kind of wine they like, whether it’s White Zinfandel or serious Bordeaux.
I cultivated another brand too, of course, the one that got me this book deal and the keynote speeches and the consulting gigs, as well as helped me and my brother, AJ, build VaynerMedia. For almost two years I was patient. I let people get to know me and trust my wine guy personal brand. Then in October 2007, I decided I needed to scratch my itch. The world was ready to know that I was more than the funny guy who knows a lot about wine. I woke up one morning and thought, It’s time to talk biz, and I started airing videos of me talking about my real passion, building brands and business.
Regardless of which brand people are drawn to, my popularity stems from the fact that I know what the hell I’m talking about, and that I’m honest. For all my charisma and entertainment value, if the content I was putting out wasn’t any good and couldn’t be trusted, no one would be watching. No one.
----
T o everyone who is freaking out because they fear the noise and distraction of all the additional content on the Internet, you can relax. Quality is a tremendous filter. Cream always rises, my friends, no matter how many cups of coffee you pour.
----
opportunity lies in transparency
Consumers want you to tell them the truth. Sure, they want quality and service and value and entertainment, but above all they want to know that the person they’re dealing with is being honest. Entrepreneurs don’t really have a choice—the lines between the private and the public are becoming increasingly blurred, and with people able to share their experiences and thoughts and photographs on video by spraying them all over the Internet within minutes after they happen, the days of being able to con the consumer without repercussions are pretty much over. So no matter how you shape and color your personal brand, honesty has got to be at your core.
I come online five days a week to taste and review wines. Some wines are tremendous, some taste like horse crap. Do the makers of the wines I pan like me? Probably not. Do I care? Nope. Do I sell some of the ones that I think taste bad? You bet I do, becauseyou might totally disagree with me (someone at the winery who made them sure did). All I’m doing on my blog is being myself and voicing my opinion loud and clear. When you launch your videos, blogs, or podcasts, you’re going to do the same. That goes for everyone, including those of you who are used to keeping information close to the vest, or you will lose, one way or another.
Let’s say you’re in real estate and you love it. Part of the real-estate game is learning to put some serious spin on a loser property, right? You pitch it as a “charming fixer-upper” or a gem “just waiting for some TLC.” Even the appealing properties get the rose-colored treatment. But what if you sat down in front of a camera and posted a series of video blogs telling people what you really
Now, that can definitely be a double-edged sword. I know there are people out there who think I’m a jerk with my Jets spit bucket, my table littered with toys, and my colorful language. I’m loud, I’m over the top, I’m hyper. But I am who I am. I’m for real, and overall people like that. People watch, and they listen, and they even learn a thing or two and sometimes agree with me that hell yes, this Reisling does taste like a racquetball. I give wine lovers the permission to like any kind of wine they like, whether it’s White Zinfandel or serious Bordeaux.
I cultivated another brand too, of course, the one that got me this book deal and the keynote speeches and the consulting gigs, as well as helped me and my brother, AJ, build VaynerMedia. For almost two years I was patient. I let people get to know me and trust my wine guy personal brand. Then in October 2007, I decided I needed to scratch my itch. The world was ready to know that I was more than the funny guy who knows a lot about wine. I woke up one morning and thought, It’s time to talk biz, and I started airing videos of me talking about my real passion, building brands and business.
Regardless of which brand people are drawn to, my popularity stems from the fact that I know what the hell I’m talking about, and that I’m honest. For all my charisma and entertainment value, if the content I was putting out wasn’t any good and couldn’t be trusted, no one would be watching. No one.
----
T o everyone who is freaking out because they fear the noise and distraction of all the additional content on the Internet, you can relax. Quality is a tremendous filter. Cream always rises, my friends, no matter how many cups of coffee you pour.
----
opportunity lies in transparency
Consumers want you to tell them the truth. Sure, they want quality and service and value and entertainment, but above all they want to know that the person they’re dealing with is being honest. Entrepreneurs don’t really have a choice—the lines between the private and the public are becoming increasingly blurred, and with people able to share their experiences and thoughts and photographs on video by spraying them all over the Internet within minutes after they happen, the days of being able to con the consumer without repercussions are pretty much over. So no matter how you shape and color your personal brand, honesty has got to be at your core.
I come online five days a week to taste and review wines. Some wines are tremendous, some taste like horse crap. Do the makers of the wines I pan like me? Probably not. Do I care? Nope. Do I sell some of the ones that I think taste bad? You bet I do, becauseyou might totally disagree with me (someone at the winery who made them sure did). All I’m doing on my blog is being myself and voicing my opinion loud and clear. When you launch your videos, blogs, or podcasts, you’re going to do the same. That goes for everyone, including those of you who are used to keeping information close to the vest, or you will lose, one way or another.
Let’s say you’re in real estate and you love it. Part of the real-estate game is learning to put some serious spin on a loser property, right? You pitch it as a “charming fixer-upper” or a gem “just waiting for some TLC.” Even the appealing properties get the rose-colored treatment. But what if you sat down in front of a camera and posted a series of video blogs telling people what you really
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